Partial Jaw Bone With Teeth

[Stan Simpson]

I've done some online research looking for similar looking teeth but I'm really not sure of the animal this fossil comes from. It looks to me that there was a larger tooth at the end of the jawbone where there is a hole that is missing. It was recovered as others I've listed near Houston Texas. It was recovered from dredging.

I hope someone can help to identify this specimen. Thank you all very much.

[Fruitbat]

Looks like a partial tapir (Tapirus sp.)  mandible to me!  Most likely Pleistocene if it is coming from the same dredging operation as the rest of the stuff you've found.  VERY nice!

 

-Joe

[Harry Pristis]

 

Joe is correct . . . a tapir jaw.

 

 

[DNF]

26 minutes ago, Harry Pristis said:

 

Joe is correct . . . a tapir jaw.

 

Is this tooth not fully erupted? If so, can an age be estimated?

[Fruitbat]

That tooth (M3) is beginning to erupt but has not erupted completely.  There is not a whole lot of available data, especially for lower teeth, but based on a study of Tapirus polkensis done by M.L. Gibson for a Masters Thesis at East Tennessee State University (2011), it seems reasonable to say that this individual was between 4 - 6 years old when it saw fit to expire.

 

-Joe

[caldigger]

"when it saw fit to expire."

"Oh ho hum, nothing else to do today, I think I'll just expire".

[Fruitbat]

Ok...ok...it was probably between 4 - 6 years old when it found that it was time to shuffle off this mortal coil!

 

Oh...by the way...there's a link to the Gibson thesis in the Tapir section of my Pdf Library here on The Fossil Forum.

 

-Joe